# Greatnotes5 vs Notebook

The clearest difference is ads: Greatnotes5 at none against Notebook's shown. Greatnotes5 also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Notebook's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Greatnotes5 sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Notebook sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Greatnotes5 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 523 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Greatnotes5's written reviews are positive against 71% of Notebook's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Greatnotes5 ships an update every 3 days, Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Greatnotes5 | Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking/id1591954297/reviews)** | [4.3 (523 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-journal/id1670365742/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 523 |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | **70.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 71 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kanza Ahmad](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667956463) | [Solitude Colors](https://appshunter.io/developer/1614422096) |

## What reviewers say

### Greatnotes5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking/id1591954297)

Record, transcribe, and organize lectures, meetings, and ideas with AI-powered summaries, instant answers, and quick actions. Export notes as polished PDFs for easy sharing and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Automatic transcription with time-stamps, AI-generated summaries and key takeaways, Ask AI questions about your notes, Quick AI actions: translate, proofread, expand, Export notes as PDF, Record lectures and meetings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GreatNotes Weekly Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| GreatNotes 40% Off | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Offer | $39.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $239.99 | one-time |


### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-journal/id1670365742)

Organize your thoughts, plans, and ideas with a versatile notebook and list-making application. Create unlimited notes, manage tasks with checklists, and customize your workspace. Sync across devices for seamless access to your organized information.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notes and lists, Folders and organization tools, Rich text editing, Checklists and to-do lists, Cloud sync and backup, Quick search and tags

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Great organization system
- 🚀 Simple and quick
- 🤩 Excellent AI-powered features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 💸 Excessive ads disrupting usage
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 🤯 Confusing navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and lost user data
- Compatibility problems with older devices
- Copying and pasting not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Improve delete/edit options
- Provide subscription-free version
- Enhance calendar integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Greatnotes5 free?

Greatnotes5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Notebook free?

Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Greatnotes5 or Notebook?

Greatnotes5 is rated higher. Greatnotes5 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Notebook averages 4.3 from 523 ratings.

### Do Greatnotes5 or Notebook have ads?

Notebook shows ads; Greatnotes5 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Greatnotes5 or Notebook?

Greatnotes5 ships an update every 3 days, and Notebook every 3 weeks. Most recently, Greatnotes5 was updated on September 23, 2026 and Notebook on September 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*